RHETORIC AND STEREOTYPES

Rhetoric and Stereotypes



Rhetoric and Stereotypes

There are many different groups of people that are being stereotyped in our society everyday. The stereotypes are found in politicians? tattooed persons? feminists? and senior citizens. I am going to try to explain how these four basic groups that we see and encounter on a daily basis everyday are being stereotyped. Let's look at the politicians first? they are being called liars? cheaters? and people who will say anything to get what they want and once they win? they forget what they said that they would do while they were campaigning... (Moore & Parker? 2007) The tattooed persons are considered weird? freaks? scary? criminals? and even punks. Everywhere you look you can see a tattooed person? some with little tattoos and others with the tattoos all over their bodies. The feminists are looked upon as women who are gay and hate men for their beliefs that women are suppose to be in the kitchen and serving their men. “Not!” Last are the senior citizens who think that they are still young and can do things like when they were younger. Senior Citizens are considered weak? slow? senile? and very stuck in their ways and not willing to accept changes. (Moore & Parker? 2007)

I don't think that any of these groups will invoke the same images to all persons and that each group produces a different stereotype. Politicians can produce both negative and positive stereotypes? which can be good depending on the person. Tattooed Persons can produce a negative stereotype? which can be bad. Feminists can produce a positive stereotype? considering that women work just as hard as a man. While senior citizens produces both because they can be informative and on the other hand hard headed. There is a lot of truth in the stereotypes of each of these groups and in others as well because when you look at each group and take into account what each group stands for. (Moore & Parker? 2007)

Misperceptions and innuendos about others are formed when individuals begin to believe in an idea or opinion about a particular group or individual that is either entirely untrue or only partially true which “represents an oversimplified opinion? prejudiced attitude? or uncritical judgment” (Merriam-Webster? 2007) about others based on a distinguished characteristics associated with that particular group. As humans we are all different in many ways which helps in being able to establish ourselves as individuals. (Moore & Parker? 2007) A person's individual differences? beliefs? and opinions is what makes them unique from others but because these differences exist it causes others to form biased opinions based on characteristics associated with the entire group instead of through learning experiences with the individual associated with the group. What may be held true by one individual may not necessarily represent the beliefs of everyone involved.

Categorizing humans is important in order for us to understand where we fit into our society demographically but generalizing cause's labels to be placed upon everyone associated within ...